A fire suspected to have been caused by an electric bicycle broke out at a house in Hsinchu County's Xinfeng, and an 18-year-old woman fell while trying to escape and is being treated in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the Liberty Times reported.

The exact cause is under investigation; firefighters regard an e-bike stored indoors as the likely ignition point.

How lithium battery fires behave

The lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and scooters undergo 'thermal runaway' when damaged or overcharged. One overheating cell cascades into its neighbors, venting flame and toxic gas within seconds.

Water does not readily extinguish them, and they reignite after the visible fire is out. The greatest danger is that when kept indoors—especially near an entryway or stairs—they block the escape route itself.

Why people go out the window

Much of the death and serious injury in fires happens not from flame but during escape. When smoke fills the stairs, the only option left is a window, and a fall from the third floor or above is lethal on its own.

Fire specialists advise that closing the door, sealing gaps with wet towels and waiting at a window for rescue has a higher survival rate than jumping. That judgment is hard once smoke has entered the room.

Practical prevention

Do not charge while asleep or away. Do not store near entryways, stairs or exits. Use the original charger, and stop using any battery that swells or smells. These warnings have been repeated for years, yet accidents happen on the night someone thinks it will be fine just this once.

Battery fires from personal mobility devices are rising annually in Korea too. Cheap, convenient transport has moved into the home—and households need to know its risk moved in with it.